# 1985 NBA playoffs

The 1985 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 1984–85 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers defeating the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was named NBA Finals MVP for the second time (he had won the award under his birth name, Lew Alcindor, as a Buck in 1971).
The Lakers had been unsuccessful in their previous eight attempts to defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals, losing 7 times from 1959–1969 and 1984. The Lakers, moreover, won the title in Boston, something no other NBA team would accomplish until 2022, and would be the only road team to clinch the title at Boston Garden.
The Cavaliers made the playoffs for the first time since 1978.
It was also the first time that all three teams from Texas made the playoffs in the same year.
The Denver Nuggets advanced to the conference finals for the first time since 1978 and would not advance that far again until 2009. The Philadelphia 76ers, on the other hand, advanced to the conference finals for the fifth time in six years, but would not reach that level again until 2001.
It was also the first time that Turner Broadcasting was covering the playoffs as TBS was the home for some playoff games.
Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the Spectrum forced a Phil Collins concert at the arena to be canceled so that he would play the Philadelphia half of Live Aid, as noted by Charlie Van Dyke when he sub-hosted an episode of American Top 40 on July 6 of that year.

## Bracket

| First Rounds | First Rounds | First Rounds | | | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Semifinals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | Conference Finals | | NBA Finals | NBA Finals | NBA Finals |
| E1 | Boston* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Cleveland | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E8 | Cleveland | 1 | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E4 | Detroit | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E4 | Detroit | 3 | | | E4 | Detroit | 2 | | | | | | | |
| E5 | New Jersey | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E5 | New Jersey | 0 | | | | | | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E1 | Boston* | 4 | | | | |
| Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | Eastern Conference | E3 | Philadelphia | 1 | | | | |
| E3 | Philadelphia | 3 | | | | | | | | | E3 | Philadelphia | 1 | | | | |
| E6 | Washington | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E6 | Washington | 1 | | | E3 | Philadelphia | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 0 | | | | | | | |
| E2 | Milwaukee* | 3 | | | E2 | Milwaukee* | 0 | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Chicago | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| E7 | Chicago | 1 | | | | | | | | | | E1 | Boston* | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W1 | LA Lakers* | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 |
| W8 | Phoenix | 0 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W8 | Phoenix | 0 | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W5 | Portland | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W4 | Dallas | 1 | | | W5 | Portland | 1 | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Portland | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W5 | Portland | 3 | | | | | | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W1 | LA Lakers* | 4 | | | | |
| Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | Western Conference | W2 | Denver* | 1 | | | | |
| W3 | Houston | 2 | | | | | | | | | W2 | Denver* | 1 | | | | |
| W6 | Utah | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| W6 | Utah | 3 | | | W6 | Utah | 1 | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | W2 | Denver* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W2 | Denver* | 3 | | | W2 | Denver* | 4 | | | | | | | |
| W7 | San Antonio | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
* * Division winner
* Bold Series winner
* Italic Team with home-court advantage

## First round
### Eastern Conference first round
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (8) Cleveland Cavaliers

* April 18
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 123, Boston Celtics 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 28–39, 40–31, 25–25 |||
| Pts: Roy Hinson 24 Rebs: Roy Hinson 11 Asts: John Bagley 11 | Pts: Larry Bird 40 Rebs: Kevin McHale 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 11 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Wally Rooney, Hugh Evans
* April 20
* Boxscore
Cleveland Cavaliers 106, Boston Celtics 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–30, 28–31, 24–24, 24–23 |||
| Pts: World B. Free 25 Rebs: Roy Hinson 6 Asts: World B. Free 7 | Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: Bird, Parish 11 each Asts: Larry Bird 7 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Ed Middleton
* April 23
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 98, Cleveland Cavaliers 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–25, 21–30, 21–21, 32–29 |||
| Pts: Scott Wedman 30 Rebs: Kevin McHale 11 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 | Pts: World B. Free 32 Rebs: Roy Hinson 9 Asts: John Bagley 15 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio Attendance: 20,900 Referees: Tom Nunez, Jess Kersey
* April 25
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 117, Cleveland Cavaliers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–33, 31–33, 31–23, 23–26 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 34 Rebs: Larry Bird 14 Asts: Larry Bird 7 | Pts: World B. Free 30 Rebs: Lonnie Shelton 8 Asts: John Bagley 10 |
| Boston wins series, 3–1 |||
* Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio Attendance: 20,900 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Hue Hollins
* Dennis Johnson blocks a World B. Free 3 with 2 seconds left.
Boston won 6–0 in the regular-season series :
December 1, 1984
Recap
Boston Celtics 110, Cleveland Cavaliers 104
The Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
December 2, 1984
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 99, Boston Celtics 122
Boston Garden, Boston
February 6, 1985
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 108, Boston Celtics 113
Boston Garden, Boston
March 15, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 119, Cleveland Cavaliers 96
The Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio
March 22, 1985
Recap
Cleveland Cavaliers 117, Boston Celtics 129
Boston Garden, Boston
April 11, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 121, Cleveland Cavaliers 115
The Coliseum, Richfield, Ohio :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
Boston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1976
Boston Celtics 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 2
1976 Eastern Conference Finals :

#### (2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (7) Chicago Bulls

* April 19
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 100, Milwaukee Bucks 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–31, 24–27, 19–22, 27–29 |||
| Pts: Quintin Dailey 25 Rebs: David Greenwood 13 Asts: Michael Jordan 10 | Pts: Sidney Moncrief 30 Rebs: Paul Mokeski 10 Asts: Paul Pressey 9 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 1–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Hugh Evans, Mike Mathis
* April 21
* Boxscore
Chicago Bulls 115, Milwaukee Bucks 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–30, 22–29, 32–29, 30–34 |||
| Pts: Michael Jordan 30 Rebs: Jawann Oldham 9 Asts: Michael Jordan 12 | Pts: Terry Cummings 30 Rebs: Terry Cummings 9 Asts: Terry Cummings 11 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Joe Crawford, Ed T. Rush
* April 24
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 107, Chicago Bulls 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–29, 24–29, 26–24, 26–27 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 37 Rebs: Terry Cummings 9 Asts: Moncrief, Pressey 5 each | Pts: Michael Jordan 35 Rebs: Sidney Green 9 Asts: Michael Jordan 7 |
| Milwaukee leads series, 2–1 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 17,225 Referees: Hue Hollins, Jess Kersey
* Michael Jordan hits his first playoff game-winner with 22 seconds left.
* April 26
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 105, Chicago Bulls 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–27, 28–18, 28–25, 22–27 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 29 Rebs: Terry Cummings 12 Asts: Paul Pressey 4 | Pts: Michael Jordan 29 Rebs: Dave Corzine 9 Asts: Michael Jordan 5 |
| Milwaukee wins series, 3–1 |||
* Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois Attendance: 17,787 Referees: Darell Garretson, Tommy Nunez Sr.
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
October 27, 1984
Recap
Chicago Bulls 106, Milwaukee Bucks 108
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
October 29, 1984
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 110, Chicago Bulls 116
Chicago Stadium, Chicago
November 21, 1984
Recap
Chicago Bulls 98, Milwaukee Bucks 108
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
January 4, 1985
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 101, Chicago Bulls 106
Chicago Stadium, Chicago
February 17, 1985
Recap
Chicago Bulls 105, Milwaukee Bucks 125
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 17, 1985
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 117, Chicago Bulls 119 (OT)
Chicago Stadium, Chicago :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bucks winning the first meeting.
Milwaukee leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1974
Chicago Bulls 0, Milwaukee Bucks 4
1974 Western Conference Finals :

#### (3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Washington Bullets

* April 17
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 97, Philadelphia 76ers 104 :
| Scoring by quarter: 21–28, 27–27, 28–21, 21–28 |||
| Pts: Cliff Robinson 24 Rebs: Jeff Ruland 10 Asts: Gus Williams 8 | Pts: Moses Malone 26 Rebs: Charles Barkley 12 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 6 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 7,170 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak
* April 21
* Boxscore
Washington Bullets 94, Philadelphia 76ers 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–26, 25–30, 19–25, 23–32 |||
| Pts: Jeff Malone 30 Rebs: Cliff Robinson 11 Asts: Darren Daye 9 | Pts: Andrew Toney 31 Rebs: Malone, Barkley 14 each Asts: Maurice Cheeks 5 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 9,612 Referees: Mike Mathis, Hugh Evans
* April 24
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Washington Bullets 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–28, 20–32, 13–30, 32–28 |||
| Pts: Moses Malone 17 Rebs: Charles Barkley 11 Asts: Andrew Toney 5 | Pts: Gus Williams 28 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: Ruland, Johnson 5 each |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 11,103 Referees: John Vanak, James Capers Sr.
* April 26
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 106, Washington Bullets 98 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–24, 34–23, 13–21, 32–30 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 25 Rebs: Charles Barkley 14 Asts: Clint Richardson 4 | Pts: Jeff Malone 24 Rebs: Jeff Ruland 10 Asts: Jeff Ruland 7 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 3–1 |||
* Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland Attendance: 12,238 Referees: Jess Kersey, Bill Oakes
Philadelphia won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 20, 1984
Recap
Washington Bullets 120, Philadelphia 76ers 105
Spectrum, Philadelphia
November 27, 1984
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 93, Washington Bullets 89
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
January 13, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 115, Washington Bullets 104
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland
February 6, 1985
Recap
Washington Bullets 111, Philadelphia 76ers 116
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 27, 1985
Recap
Washington Bullets 97, Philadelphia 76ers 115
Spectrum, Philadelphia
April 13, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 106, Washington Bullets 118
Capital Centre, Landover, Maryland :
This was the fourth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Bullets winning two of the first three meetings.
Washington leads 2–1 in all-time playoff series :
1971
Philadelphia 76ers 3, Baltimore Bullets 4
1971 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1978
Philadelphia 76ers 2, Washington Bullets 4
1978 Eastern Conference Finals
1980
Philadelphia 76ers 2, Washington Bullets 0
1980 Eastern Conference First Round :

#### (4) Detroit Pistons vs. (5) New Jersey Nets

* April 18
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 105, Detroit Pistons 125 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–39, 19–25, 28–29, 32–32 |||
| Pts: Buck Williams 23 Rebs: Buck Williams 9 Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 10 | Pts: Bill Laimbeer 23 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 |
| Detroit leads series, 1–0 |||
* Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan Attendance: 10,465 Referees: John Vanak, Hue Hollins
* April 21
* Boxscore
New Jersey Nets 111, Detroit Pistons 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–32, 27–32, 31–23, 21–34 |||
| Pts: Buck Williams 23 Rebs: Buck Williams 11 Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 14 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 29 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 14 |
| Detroit leads series, 2–0 |||
* Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan Attendance: 11,501 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Lee Jones
* April 24
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 116, New Jersey Nets 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–33, 36–30, 26–28, 32–24 |||
| Pts: Terry Tyler 23 Rebs: Tripucka, Tyler 11 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 11 | Pts: Williams, King 28 each Rebs: Buck Williams 12 Asts: Micheal Ray Richardson 10 |
| Detroit wins series, 3–0 |||
* Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 9,999 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Ed Middleton
New Jersey won 5–1 in the regular-season series :
December 26, 1984
Recap
Detroit Pistons 97, New Jersey Nets 112
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
December 29, 1984
Recap
New Jersey Nets 110, Detroit Pistons 108
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
January 19, 1985
Recap
Detroit Pistons 109, New Jersey Nets 107
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
February 5, 1985
Recap
New Jersey Nets 119, Detroit Pistons 117
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
February 15, 1985
Recap
Detroit Pistons 123, New Jersey Nets 124
Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, New Jersey
February 23, 1985
Recap
New Jersey Nets 111, Detroit Pistons 103
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Pistons and the Nets.

### Western Conference first round
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (8) Phoenix Suns

* April 18
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 114, Los Angeles Lakers 142 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–45, 27–32, 35–36, 28–29 |||
| Pts: Charles Pittman 22 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 11 Asts: Jay Humphries 8 | Pts: Mike McGee 22 Rebs: Cooper, McAdoo 6 each Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 15,547 Referees: Jess Kersey, Bill Oakes
* April 20
* Boxscore
Phoenix Suns 130, Los Angeles Lakers 147 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–42, 34–33, 25–35, 40–37 |||
| Pts: Alvan Adams 23 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 9 Asts: Maurice Lucas 6 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 7 Asts: Cooper, Johnson 12 each |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 15,261 Referees: Darrell Garretson, Dick Bavetta
* April 23
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 119, Phoenix Suns 103 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–25, 43–30, 18–22, 33–26 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 23 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 11 | Pts: Maurice Lucas 26 Rebs: Maurice Lucas 13 Asts: Adams, Holton 5 each |
| LA Lakers win series, 3–0 |||
* Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona Attendance: 8,741 Referees: Hugh Evans, Wally Rooney
Los Angeles won 5–1 in the regular-season series :
November 20, 1984
Recap
Phoenix Suns 108, Los Angeles Lakers 130
The Forum, Inglewood, California
November 21, 1984
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 102, Phoenix Suns 97
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
December 21, 1984
Recap
Phoenix Suns 105, Los Angeles Lakers 119
The Forum, Inglewood, California
February 28, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 105, Phoenix Suns 117
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
March 19, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 130, Phoenix Suns 112
Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona
March 31, 1985
Recap
Phoenix Suns 98, Los Angeles Lakers 123
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first four meetings.
Los Angeles leads 4–0 in all-time playoff series :
1970
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 3
1970 Western Division Semifinals
1980
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 1
1980 Western Conference Semifinals
1982
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 0
1982 Western Conference Semifinals
1984
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Phoenix Suns 2
1984 Western Conference Finals :

#### (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (7) San Antonio Spurs

* April 18
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 111, Denver Nuggets 141 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–35, 27–33, 32–36, 28–37 |||
| Pts: Mike Mitchell 23 Rebs: Ozell Jones 8 Asts: Johnny Moore 5 | Pts: Alex English 33 Rebs: Elston Turner 8 Asts: Fat Lever 11 |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 12,128 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Bill Saar
* April 20
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 113, Denver Nuggets 111 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–31, 28–25, 29–29, 25–26 |||
| Pts: George Gervin 41 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 12 Asts: Johnny Moore 8 | Pts: Alex English 29 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 10 Asts: Fat Lever 13 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Jess Kersey, Lee Jones
* April 23
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 115, San Antonio Spurs 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–29, 28–22, 34–28, 21–33 |||
| Pts: Alex English 27 Rebs: Calvin Natt 8 Asts: Calvin Natt 8 | Pts: George Gervin 30 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 14 Asts: Johnny Moore 9 |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 8,799 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* April 26
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 111, San Antonio Spurs 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 22–32, 29–26, 31–27, 29–31 |||
| Pts: Alex English 27 Rebs: Alex English 8 Asts: Fat Lever 7 | Pts: Mike Mitchell 37 Rebs: Artis Gilmore 13 Asts: Johnny Moore 16 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* HemisFair Arena, San Antonio, Texas Attendance: 8,621 Referees: Earl Strom, Mike Mathis
* April 28
* Boxscore
San Antonio Spurs 99, Denver Nuggets 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–31, 21–34, 24–32, 30–29 |||
| Pts: Artis Gilmore 19 Rebs: Gilmore, Iavaroni 8 each Asts: Johnny Moore 4 | Pts: Alex English 33 Rebs: Calvin Natt 10 Asts: Fat Lever 10 |
| Denver wins series, 3–2 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: John Vanak, Ed T. Rush
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
October 30, 1984
Recap
Denver Nuggets 118, San Antonio Spurs 126
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
December 12, 1984
Recap
Denver Nuggets 105, San Antonio Spurs 126
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
December 26, 1984
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 119, Denver Nuggets 130
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
February 15, 1985
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 119, Denver Nuggets 129
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
March 17, 1985
Recap
Denver Nuggets 119, San Antonio Spurs 124
HemisFair Arena, San Antonio
April 5, 1985
Recap
San Antonio Spurs 109, Denver Nuggets 118
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Spurs winning the first meeting.
San Antonio leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1983
Denver Nuggets 1, San Antonio Spurs 4
1983 Western Conference Semifinals :

#### (3) Houston Rockets vs. (6) Utah Jazz

* April 19
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 115, Houston Rockets 101 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–28, 32–15, 21–33, 34–25 |||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 34 Rebs: Thurl Bailey 10 Asts: Rickey Green 10 | Pts: Ralph Sampson 26 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 24 Asts: Lionel Hollins 7 |
| Utah leads series, 1–0 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 13,185 Referees: Ed Rush, Joe Crawford
* April 21
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 96, Houston Rockets 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–29, 18–34, 29–26, 24–33 |||
| Pts: Jeff Wilkins 22 Rebs: Jeff Wilkins 12 Asts: Green, Stockton 6 each | Pts: Lewis Lloyd 27 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 14 Asts: Lloyd, Lucas 6 each |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 14,139 Referees: John Vanak, Wally Rooney
* April 24
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 104, Utah Jazz 112 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–24, 26–27, 33–29, 22–32 |||
| Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 26 Rebs: Hakeem Olajuwon 16 Asts: John Lucas 7 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 29 Rebs: Bailey, Stockton 11 each Asts: Rickey Green 10 |
| Utah leads series, 2–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,316 Referees: Earl Strom, Mike Mathis
* April 26
* Boxscore
Houston Rockets 96, Utah Jazz 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 19–25, 29–19, 29–26 |||
| Pts: Sampson, Olajuwon 18 each Rebs: Ralph Sampson 18 Asts: John Lucas 5 | Pts: Rickey Green 22 Rebs: Thurl Bailey 12 Asts: Rickey Green 11 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,690 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Joe Crawford
* April 28
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 104, Houston Rockets 97 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–26, 19-18, 28–32, 37–21 |||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 25 Rebs: Mark Eaton 10 Asts: Rickey Green 6 | Pts: Hakeem Olajuwon 32 Rebs: Ralph Sampson 10 Asts: Hakeem Olajuwon 14 |
| Utah wins series, 3–2 |||
* The Summit, Houston, Texas Attendance: 16,016 Referees: Darrell Garretson, Hugh Evans
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 23, 1984
Recap
Houston Rockets 98, Utah Jazz 111
Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City
January 6, 1985
Recap
Houston Rockets 92, Utah Jazz 121
Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City
January 19, 1985
Recap
Utah Jazz 95, Houston Rockets 120
The Summit, Houston
March 1, 1985
Recap
Houston Rockets 119, Utah Jazz 115
Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City
March 6, 1985
Recap
Utah Jazz 94, Houston Rockets 90
The Summit, Houston
March 30, 1985
Recap
Utah Jazz 96, Houston Rockets 106
The Summit, Houston :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Rockets and the Jazz.

#### (4) Dallas Mavericks vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers

* April 18
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 131, Dallas Mavericks 139 (2OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–23, 33–25, 28–40, 27–24, Overtime: 9–9, 10–18 |||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 25 Rebs: Sam Bowie 14 Asts: Darnell Valentine 13 | Pts: Rolando Blackman 43 Rebs: Mark Aguirre 14 Asts: Rolando Blackman 6 |
| Dallas leads series, 1–0 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: Lee Jones, Darell Garretson
* April 20
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 124, Dallas Mavericks 121 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 15–25, 28–20, 35–32, 32–33, Overtime: 14–11 |||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 27 Rebs: Sam Bowie 20 Asts: Clyde Drexler 12 | Pts: Rolando Blackman 41 Rebs: Sam Perkins 19 Asts: Derek Harper 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas Attendance: 17,007 Referees: John Vanak, Hue Hollins
* April 23
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 109, Portland Trail Blazers 122 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–31, 34–25, 25–35, 22–31 |||
| Pts: Blackman, Aguirre 30 each Rebs: Perkins, Vincent 9 each Asts: Brad Davis 5 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 24 Rebs: Sam Bowie 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 10 |
| Portland leads series, 2–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Paul Mihalak
* April 25
* Boxscore
Dallas Mavericks 113, Portland Trail Blazers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 26–25, 31–30, 28–33, 28–27 |||
| Pts: Mark Aguirre 39 Rebs: Sam Perkins 10 Asts: Brad Davis 8 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 27 Rebs: Kenny Carr 10 Asts: Darnell Valentine 9 |
| Portland wins series, 3–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Hugh Evans, Wally Rooney
Dallas won 4–1 in the regular-season series :
November 13, 1984
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 101, Portland Trail Blazers 94
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
January 8, 1985
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 108, Portland Trail Blazers 102
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
January 13, 1985
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 101, Dallas Mavericks 124
Reunion Arena, Dallas
February 20, 1985
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 98, Dallas Mavericks 104
Reunion Arena, Dallas
April 12, 1985
Recap
Dallas Mavericks 111, Portland Trail Blazers 131
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon :
This was the first playoff meeting between the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers.

## Conference semifinals
### Eastern Conference semifinals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (4) Detroit Pistons

* April 28
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 99, Boston Celtics 133 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–35, 24–29, 20–37, 26–32 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 23 Rebs: three players 5 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 8 | Pts: Robert Parish 27 Rebs: Robert Parish 16 Asts: Ainge, Williams 7 each |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Earl Strom, Paul Mihalak
* April 30
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 114, Boston Celtics 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–32, 17–27, 28–27, 33–35 |||
| Pts: Isiah Thomas 28 Rebs: Thomas, Laimbeer 9 each Asts: Isiah Thomas 15 | Pts: Larry Bird 42 Rebs: McHale, Bird 10 each Asts: Dennis Johnson 7 |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Hugh Evans, Tom Nunez
* May 2
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 117, Detroit Pistons 125 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–38, 28–24, 34–36, 21–27 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 27 Rebs: Larry Bird 13 Asts: Larry Bird 8 | Pts: Bill Laimbeer 27 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 16 |
| Boston leads series, 2–1 |||
* Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan Attendance: 14,209 Referees: Jess Kersey, Mike Mathis
* May 5
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 99, Detroit Pistons 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–26, 30–28, 34–22, 12–26 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 24 Rebs: Kevin McHale 10 Asts: Larry Bird 7 | Pts: Vinnie Johnson 34 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 12 Asts: Isiah Thomas 10 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan Attendance: 14,350 Referees: Lee Jones, Darell Garretson
* May 8
* Boxscore
Detroit Pistons 123, Boston Celtics 130 :
| Scoring by quarter: 33–38, 34–30, 23–27, 33–35 |||
| Pts: Vinnie Johnson 30 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 7 | Pts: Larry Bird 43 Rebs: Larry Bird 13 Asts: D. Johnson, Ainge 6 each |
| Boston leads series, 3–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Wally Rooney
* May 10
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 123, Detroit Pistons 113 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–31, 27–21, 29–34, 31–27 |||
| Pts: Dennis Johnson 22 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Danny Ainge 9 | Pts: Isiah Thomas 37 Rebs: Bill Laimbeer 13 Asts: Isiah Thomas 9 |
| Boston wins series, 4–2 |||
* Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan Attendance: 21,193 Referees: John Vanak, Ed T. Rush
Boston won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
October 26, 1984
Recap
Boston Celtics 130, Detroit Pistons 123
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
November 2, 1984
Recap
Detroit Pistons 116, Boston Celtics 127
Boston Garden, Boston
December 4, 1984
Recap
Boston Celtics 99, Detroit Pistons 104
Pontiac Silverdome, Pontiac, Michigan
January 29, 1985
Recap
Detroit Pistons 130, Boston Celtics 131
Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
March 3, 1985
Recap
Detroit Pistons 129, Boston Celtics 138
Boston Garden, Boston
March 31, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 105, Detroit Pistons 113
Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, Michigan :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first meeting.
Boston leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Detroit Pistons 2
1968 Eastern Division Semifinals :

#### (2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

* April 28
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 127, Milwaukee Bucks 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 37–24, 29–27, 28–23, 33–31 |||
| Pts: Moses Malone 27 Rebs: Charles Barkley 8 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 9 | Pts: Terry Cummings 17 Rebs: Paul Pressey 10 Asts: Hodges, Pressey 8 each |
| Philadelphia leads series, 1–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Wally Rooney
* April 30
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 112, Milwaukee Bucks 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 25–31, 29–22, 28–25, 30–30 |||
| Pts: Moses Malone 25 Rebs: Julius Erving 10 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 9 | Pts: Terry Cummings 41 Rebs: Cummings, Lister 12 each Asts: Paul Pressey 16 |
| Philadelphia leads series, 2–0 |||
* MECCA Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attendance: 11,052 Referees: Earl Strom, Ed Middleton
* May 3
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 104, Philadelphia 76ers 109 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–34, 20–23, 34–28, 27–24 |||
| Pts: Terry Cummings 21 Rebs: Cummings, Lister 8 each Asts: Paul Pressey 7 | Pts: Andrew Toney 20 Rebs: Moses Malone 13 Asts: Toney, Cheeks 7 each |
| Philadelphia leads series, 3–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 14,188 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* May 5
* Boxscore
Milwaukee Bucks 112, Philadelphia 76ers 121 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–30, 27–22, 26–31, 35–38 |||
| Pts: Moncrief, Pressey 25 each Rebs: Alton Lister 14 Asts: Sidney Moncrief 8 | Pts: Moses Malone 31 Rebs: Moses Malone 13 Asts: Andrew Toney 11 |
| Philadelphia wins series, 4–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 15,264 Referees: John Vanak, Hue Hollins
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
December 5, 1984
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 111, Philadelphia 76ers 112
Spectrum, Philadelphia
December 14, 1984
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 115, Milwaukee Bucks 111
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
December 21, 1984
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 104, Philadelphia 76ers 101
Spectrum, Philadelphia
January 5, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 110, Milwaukee Bucks 106
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
February 26, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 97, Milwaukee Bucks 116
MECCA Arena, Milwaukee
March 22, 1985
Recap
Milwaukee Bucks 131, Philadelphia 76ers 112
Spectrum, Philadelphia :
This was the fifth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the 76ers winning three of the first four meetings.
Philadelphia leads 3–1 in all-time playoff series :
1970
Milwaukee Bucks 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1970 Eastern Division Semifinals
1981
Milwaukee Bucks 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1981 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1982
Milwaukee Bucks 2, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1982 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1983
Milwaukee Bucks 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1983 Eastern Conference Finals :

### Western Conference semifinals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Portland Trail Blazers

* April 27
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 101, Los Angeles Lakers 125 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–33, 21–40, 27–28, 29–24 |||
| Pts: Steve Colter 26 Rebs: Kenny Carr 10 Asts: Steve Colter 8 | Pts: Byron Scott 20 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 13,909 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Lee Jones
* The CBS coverage of this game would mark the final on-air assignment for Frank Glieber (calling the game alongside James Brown); as Glieber died from a heart attack three days later at the age of 51.
* April 30
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 118, Los Angeles Lakers 134 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–39, 20–30, 33–32, 33–33 |||
| Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 23 Rebs: Kenny Carr 12 Asts: Darnell Valentine 9 | Pts: Byron Scott 31 Rebs: Magic Johnson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 18 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Hue Hollins, John Vanak
* May 3
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 130, Portland Trail Blazers 126 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–32, 37–24, 32–36, 26–34 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Abdul-Jabbar, McAdoo 9 each Asts: Magic Johnson 23 | Pts: Kiki VanDeWeghe 27 Rebs: Clyde Drexler 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 14 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–0 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Wally Rooney
* May 5
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 107, Portland Trail Blazers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–23, 19–36, 25–27, 33–29 |||
| Pts: Magic Johnson 31 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 17 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | Pts: VanDeWeghe, Thompson 17 each Rebs: Mychal Thompson 10 Asts: Clyde Drexler 10 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon Attendance: 12,666 Referees: Earl Strom, Mike Mathis
* May 7
* Boxscore
Portland Trail Blazers 120, Los Angeles Lakers 139 :
| Scoring by quarter: 32–33, 27–35, 24–32, 37–39 |||
| Pts: Jerome Kersey 18 Rebs: Kenny Carr 11 Asts: Clyde Drexler 12 | Pts: Magic Johnson 34 Rebs: Magic Johnson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Hugh Evans, Joe Crawford
Los Angeles won 5–1 in the regular-season series :
November 4, 1984
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 116, Los Angeles Lakers 124
The Forum, Inglewood, California
November 9, 1984
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 130, Portland Trail Blazers 126
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
January 4, 1985
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 95, Los Angeles Lakers 120
The Forum, Inglewood, California
January 29, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 122, Portland Trail Blazers 106
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
March 26, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 113, Portland Trail Blazers 116 (OT)
Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
April 7, 1985
Recap
Portland Trail Blazers 133, Los Angeles Lakers 135 (OT)
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the third playoff meeting between these two teams, with each team winning one series apiece.
Tied 1–1 in all-time playoff series :
1977
Los Angeles Lakers 0, Portland Trail Blazers 4
1977 Western Conference Finals
1983
Los Angeles Lakers 4, Portland Trail Blazers 1
1983 Western Conference Semifinals :

#### (2) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Utah Jazz

* April 30
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 113, Denver Nuggets 130 :
| Scoring by quarter: 39–36, 27–37, 23–32, 24–25 |||
| Pts: Adrian Dantley 28 Rebs: Dantley, Kelley 9 each Asts: Rickey Green 6 | Pts: Alex English 31 Rebs: Fat Lever 16 Asts: Fat Lever 18 |
| Denver leads series, 1–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 11,918 Referees: Lee Jones, Jess Kersey
* May 2
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 123, Denver Nuggets 131 (OT) :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–32, 32–38, 32–24, 21–25, Overtime: 4–12 |||
| Pts: Rickey Green 25 Rebs: Adrian Dantley 14 Asts: Rickey Green 10 | Pts: Alex English 26 Rebs: Fat Lever 13 Asts: Alex English 12 |
| Denver leads series, 2–0 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 16,317 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Bill Oakes
* May 4
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 123, Utah Jazz 131 :
| Scoring by quarter: 27–37, 34–30, 38–32, 24–32 |||
| Pts: Calvin Natt 30 Rebs: Mike Evans 8 Asts: English, Lever 5 each | Pts: Adrian Dantley 32 Rebs: Thurl Bailey 14 Asts: Rickey Green 7 |
| Denver leads series, 2–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,178 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Mike Mathis
* May 5
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 125, Utah Jazz 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 36–26, 33–29, 29–33, 27–30 |||
| Pts: Alex English 40 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 14 Asts: Calvin Natt 10 | Pts: Adrian Dantley 33 Rebs: Rich Kelley 8 Asts: John Stockton 10 |
| Denver leads series, 3–1 |||
* Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, Utah Attendance: 12,716 Referees: Joe Crawford, Hugh Evans
* May 7
* Boxscore
Utah Jazz 104, Denver Nuggets 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 23–43, 22–28, 34–26, 25–19 |||
| Pts: Rickey Green 22 Rebs: Rich Kelley 11 Asts: Rickey Green 7 | Pts: Alex English 30 Rebs: Wayne Cooper 11 Asts: Alex English 6 |
| Denver wins series, 4–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins
Denver won 4–2 in the regular-season series :
November 10, 1984
Recap
Utah Jazz 135, Denver Nuggets 147
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
November 30, 1984
Recap
Denver Nuggets 97, Utah Jazz 116
Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City
December 1, 1984
Recap
Utah Jazz 111, Denver Nuggets 118
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
January 4, 1985
Recap
Denver Nuggets 108, Utah Jazz 118
Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City
January 28, 1985
Recap
Denver Nuggets 104, Utah Jazz 100
Salt Palace Acord Arena, Salt Lake City
March 26, 1985
Recap
Utah Jazz 89, Denver Nuggets 104
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Jazz winning the first meeting.
Utah leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1984
Denver Nuggets 2, Utah Jazz 3
1984 Western Conference First Round :

## Conference finals
### Eastern Conference finals
#### (1) Boston Celtics vs. (3) Philadelphia 76ers

* May 12
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 93, Boston Celtics 108 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–33, 24–24, 21–19, 20–32 |||
| Pts: Maurice Cheeks 27 Rebs: Charles Barkley 12 Asts: Maurice Cheeks 7 | Pts: Kevin McHale 28 Rebs: Robert Parish 13 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Earl Strom, Hue Hollins
* May 14
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 98, Boston Celtics 106 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–20, 24–26, 18–32, 28–28 |||
| Pts: Julius Erving 22 Rebs: Moses Malone 13 Asts: Cheeks, Erving 7 each | Pts: Larry Bird 24 Rebs: Robert Parish 16 Asts: Bird, Johnson 7 each |
| Boston leads series, 2–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* May 18
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 105, Philadelphia 76ers 94 :
| Scoring by quarter: 20–28, 28–19, 31–27, 26–20 |||
| Pts: Larry Bird 26 Rebs: Robert Parish 14 Asts: Danny Ainge 7 | Pts: Andrew Toney 26 Rebs: Moses Malone 16 Asts: Andrew Toney 5 |
| Boston leads series, 3–0 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 17,921 Referees: Ed T. Rush, Mike Mathis
* May 19
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 104, Philadelphia 76ers 115 :
| Scoring by quarter: 16–31, 28–29, 30–25, 30–30 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 25 Rebs: Kevin McHale 17 Asts: Danny Ainge 8 | Pts: Andrew Toney 26 Rebs: Charles Barkley 20 Asts: Julius Erving 6 |
| Boston leads series, 3–1 |||
* Spectrum, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Attendance: 17,101 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Jess Kersey
* May 22
* Boxscore
Philadelphia 76ers 100, Boston Celtics 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–28, 21–28, 26–25, 23–21 |||
| Pts: Maurice Cheeks 26 Rebs: Moses Malone 15 Asts: Toney, Cheeks 6 each | Pts: Dennis Johnson 23 Rebs: Kevin McHale 14 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 |
| Boston wins series, 4–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: John Vanak, Hugh Evans
* Larry Bird makes the game-saving steal to advance to the Finals for the Celtics.
Tied 3–3 in the regular-season series :
November 9, 1984
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 119, Boston Celtics 130
Boston Garden, Boston
December 12, 1984
Recap
Boston Celtics 107, Philadelphia 76ers 110
Spectrum, Philadelphia
January 20, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 97, Boston Celtics 113
Boston Garden, Boston
January 30, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 104, Philadelphia 76ers 122
Spectrum, Philadelphia
March 29, 1985
Recap
Philadelphia 76ers 108, Boston Celtics 112
Boston Garden, Boston
April 9, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 104, Philadelphia 76ers 113
Spectrum, Philadelphia :
This was the 18th playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning nine of the first 17 meetings.
Boston leads 9–8 in all-time playoff series :
1953
Boston Celtics 2, Syracuse Nationals 0
1953 Eastern Division Semifinals
1954
Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2
1954 Eastern Division Round Robin Semifinals
1954
Boston Celtics 0, Syracuse Nationals 2
1954 Eastern Division Finals
1955
Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 3
1955 Eastern Division Finals
1956
Boston Celtics 1, Syracuse Nationals 2
1956 Eastern Division Semifinals
1957
Boston Celtics 3, Syracuse Nationals 0
1957 Eastern Division Finals
1959
Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 3
1959 Eastern Division Finals
1961
Boston Celtics 4, Syracuse Nationals 1
1961 Eastern Division Finals
1965
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1965 Eastern Division Finals
1966
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1966 Eastern Division Finals
1967
Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1967 Eastern Division Finals
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1968 Eastern Division Finals
1969
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1
1969 Eastern Division Semifinals
1977
Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1977 Eastern Conference Semifinals
1980
Boston Celtics 1, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1980 Eastern Conference Finals
1981
Boston Celtics 4, Philadelphia 76ers 3
1981 Eastern Conference Finals
1982
Boston Celtics 3, Philadelphia 76ers 4
1982 Eastern Conference Finals :

### Western Conference finals
#### (1) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (2) Denver Nuggets

* May 11
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 122, Los Angeles Lakers 139 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–38, 22–42, 36–34, 34–25 |||
| Pts: Alex English 30 Rebs: Dan Issel 8 Asts: Mike Evans 11 | Pts: Byron Scott 27 Rebs: three players 7 each Asts: Magic Johnson 16 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 1–0 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 16,109 Referees: Lee Jones, Jess Kersey
* May 14
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 136, Los Angeles Lakers 114 :
| Scoring by quarter: 30–27, 36–32, 23–27, 47–28 |||
| Pts: Alex English 40 Rebs: Elston Turner 11 Asts: Elston Turner 8 | Pts: Byron Scott 22 Rebs: Magic Johnson 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 15 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, Art Rooney
* May 17
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 136, Denver Nuggets 118 :
| Scoring by quarter: 39–38, 40–30, 35–20, 22–30 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 28 Rebs: Magic Johnson 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 15 | Pts: Calvin Natt 30 Rebs: Calvin Natt 7 Asts: Elston Turner 6 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: John Vanak, Hugh Evans
* May 19
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 120, Denver Nuggets 116 :
| Scoring by quarter: 35–34, 33–36, 25–23, 27–23 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 29 Rebs: James Worthy 13 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | Pts: Natt, English 28 each Rebs: Natt, English 8 each Asts: Elston Turner 10 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–1 |||
* McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado Attendance: 17,022 Referees: Darell Garretson, Joe Crawford
* May 22
* Boxscore
Denver Nuggets 109, Los Angeles Lakers 153 :
| Scoring by quarter: 34–34, 19–42, 28–39, 28–38 |||
| Pts: Wayne Cooper 23 Rebs: Danny Schayes 9 Asts: Fat Lever 6 | Pts: James Worthy 25 Rebs: Mitch Kupchak 10 Asts: Magic Johnson 19 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Earl Strom, Ed T. Rush
* Dan Issel's final NBA game.
Los Angeles won 3–2 in the regular-season series :
November 6, 1984
Recap
Denver Nuggets 146, Los Angeles Lakers 130
The Forum, Inglewood, California
December 28, 1984
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 135, Denver Nuggets 123
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
January 8, 1985
Recap
Denver Nuggets 126, Los Angeles Lakers 124
The Forum, Inglewood, California
April 2, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 118, Denver Nuggets 104
McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, Colorado
April 9, 1985
Recap
Denver Nuggets 119, Los Angeles Lakers 148
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the second playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Lakers winning the first meeting.
Los Angeles leads 1–0 in all-time playoff series :
1979
Denver Nuggets 1, Los Angeles Lakers 2
1979 Western Conference First Round :

## NBA Finals: (E1) Boston Celtics vs. (W1) Los Angeles Lakers

* May 27
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 114, Boston Celtics 148 :
| Scoring by quarter: 24–38, 25–41, 30–29, 35–40 |||
| Pts: James Worthy 20 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 | Pts: McHale, Wedman 26 each Rebs: Kevin McHale 9 Asts: Dennis Johnson 10 |
| Boston leads series, 1–0 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Darell Garretson, Jess Kersey
* "Memorial Day Massacre"
* May 30
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 109, Boston Celtics 102 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–26, 33–20, 23–29, 22–27 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 17 Asts: Magic Johnson 13 | Pts: Larry Bird 30 Rebs: Larry Bird 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 8 |
| Series tied, 1–1 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Jake O'Donnell, John Vanak
* June 2
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 111, Los Angeles Lakers 136 :
| Scoring by quarter: 29–25, 30–40, 26–35, 26–36 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 31 Rebs: Kevin McHale 10 Asts: Danny Ainge 10 | Pts: James Worthy 29 Rebs: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 14 Asts: Magic Johnson 16 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 2–1 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Hugh Evans, Earl Strom
* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks Jerry West's all-time playoff scoring record.
* June 5
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 107, Los Angeles Lakers 105 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–32, 31–26, 23–26, 25–21 |||
| Pts: Kevin McHale 28 Rebs: Kevin McHale 12 Asts: Dennis Johnson 12 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 21 Rebs: Magic Johnson 11 Asts: Magic Johnson 12 |
| Series tied, 2–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Ed T. Rush, John Vanak
* Dennis Johnson hits the game-winner at the buzzer.
* June 7
* Boxscore
Boston Celtics 111, Los Angeles Lakers 120 :
| Scoring by quarter: 31–35, 20–29, 30–31, 30–25 |||
| Pts: Robert Parish 26 Rebs: Kevin McHale 10 Asts: Dennis Johnson 17 | Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 36 Rebs: Kurt Rambis 9 Asts: Magic Johnson 17 |
| LA Lakers lead series, 3–2 |||
* The Forum, Inglewood, California Attendance: 17,505 Referees: Darell Garretson, Jake O'Donnell
* June 9
* Boxscore
Los Angeles Lakers 111, Boston Celtics 100 :
| Scoring by quarter: 28–26, 27–29, 27–18, 29–27 |||
| Pts: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 29 Rebs: Johnson, Rambis 10 each Asts: Magic Johnson 14 | Pts: Kevin McHale 32 Rebs: Kevin McHale 16 Asts: Danny Ainge 11 |
| LA Lakers win series, 4–2 |||
* Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Attendance: 14,890 Referees: Hugh Evans, Earl Strom
* The Lakers become the only road team to win the NBA title in Boston Garden. They were the last visitor to win the title in Boston until the Golden State Warriors did it in the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden.
Tied 1–1 in the regular-season series :
January 16, 1985
Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 102, Boston Celtics 104
Boston Garden, Boston
February 17, 1985
Recap
Boston Celtics 111, Los Angeles Lakers 117
The Forum, Inglewood, California :
This was the ninth playoff meeting between these two teams, with the Celtics winning the first eight meetings.
Boston leads 8–0 in all-time playoff series :
1959
Boston Celtics 4, Minneapolis Lakers 0
1959 NBA Finals
1962
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1962 NBA Finals
1963
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 2
1963 NBA Finals
1965
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 1
1965 NBA Finals
1966
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1966 NBA Finals
1968
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 2
1968 NBA Finals
1969
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1969 NBA Finals
1984
Boston Celtics 4, Los Angeles Lakers 3
1984 NBA Finals :

## Statistical leaders

| Category | Game High | Game High | Game High | Average | Average | Average | Average |
| Category | Player | Team | High | Player | Team | Avg. | GP |
| Points | Larry Bird Rolando Blackman | Boston Celtics Dallas Mavericks | 43 | Rolando Blackman | Dallas Mavericks | 32.8 | 4 |
| Rebounds | Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets | 24 | Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets | 16.6 | 5 |
| Assists | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 23 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 15.2 | 19 |
| Steals | Julius Erving Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Clyde Drexler Paul Pressey Moses Malone | Philadelphia 76ers Los Angeles Lakers Portland Trail Blazers Milwaukee Bucks Philadelphia 76ers | 5 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 2.8 | 4 |
| Blocks | Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 10 | Mark Eaton | Utah Jazz | 5.8 | 5 |